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wild weather, from record heat to destructive storms. >> i yelled to my wife, we've been hit by light thing. >> the dangerous effects of these weather extremes. >> hello, everybody, i'm denise koch. >> and i'm vick carter. >> wjz is live with first warning weather coverage. bob trip breaks down the swing, but first we go to megan mccorkal. >> it's been a roller coaster ride -- >> reporter: it's been a roller coaster ride, from the record-

breaking heat to the extreme storm. it's been a wild day. >> reporter: strong winds, and sideways rain pelting the interstate, and lightning lights up the sky. armd thomas was inside his home when a bolt of lightning hit the house. >> i was looking out the back door and seen sparks going off like a flair going off. >> reporter: much of the house is torched. >> it's devastating to see your home go up in smoke. >> reporter: high winds took out this massive tree in washington, d.c., knocking out power. dangerous winds caused transit officials to shut down the bay bridge during rush hour. from chopper 13, can you see the line of storms stretched across the region. the storms ushered in cooler temperatures, bringing people outside for the first time today. earlier, it was empty tables. >> it feels like i'm about to

come bust. >> reporter: and deserted playgrounders. >> if feels like a saw nab with it's miserable. >> reporter: everybody hiding from the baking sun. >> now you know what the crabs feel like when they're in the pot. >> reporter: temperatures hit a record-breaking 104 degrees today, a record many hope we don't see again soon. >> reporter: bge reported 9500 customers without power. more than 8,000 have been restored tonight. >> megan, thank you. bob show us the drastic changes we've seen in the weather center. it has been a crazy day. the radar is quiet right now, but earlier today it was active. let's go back to 2 or 3:00 when a long of storms came in from pennsylvania. it's now in the d.c. and iowa

nap list area -- annapolis area. it's all off to the east now. maybe a few more showers overnight. look at the temperatures today. we got to a record 104 at the airport with a heat index of 107. the record previously in 1887, 102. the average high is only 87 degrees. right now, we have cooled down considerably. for a little while, we were back in the mid-70s. right now we're at 78. the hot spot is d.c., even though they had rain, they've warmed back towpt mid-80s. will this cool last? i'll tell you coming up. the weather cannot stop work on a broken water main near one of the most critical intersections in the city. mile mike helgren says that the repairs could now take three

weeks. >> reporter: as crews work in the triple-digit heat, the new pipe has arrived, ready to go seven feet under the street, replacing the main that broke monday, creating chaos. traffic is still nationalled, and parents is wearing thin. >> got to hurry up with the water pipe, man. >> reporter: with no water, some businesses remain shut down. >> we've lost about $4,000 or $5,000. >> reporter: it will be three weeks before light street reopens. the main has been identified as high risk before the break, but there were no immediate plans for repair. >> this is not the first time we've had to deal with a big water main break. at the rate we're going with our aging infrastructure, it won't be the last. >> reporter: bpw replaces 5 miles of pipe per year, and is rying to increase that to 40.

there are high-tech methods to search for weak and leaking mains. the public director hopes that technology will keep the agency ahead of zasser. >> there are some things that we can do to give us the advantage. >> reporter: the department of public works says it's just not feasible to fix all the risky water mains in baltimore. they said it would cost billions of dollars, money they do not have. >> the mains being replaced are r from 1889 and 1914. crews are putting down 700 feet of new pipe. and the repair of another city water main that's threatennening to burst has created mandatory water restrictions in amarillo county. that mean nos outdoor water use and linted indoor use. explosive statements from the man charged with murdering trayvon martin as randal

pinkston report, george zimmerman reached out to martin's family in his first interview since posting bond a second time. >> i just think it's a tragic situation. >> reporter: george zimmerman says his tragic confrontation didn't take long before martin started throwing punches. zimmerman recounted how martin approached him shortly after martin called police about a suspicious person last february. >> he asked me why what my problem was. i looked up and punched me and broke my nose. >> reporter: the neighborhood watch captain has been freed but not seen since posting $1 million bond. zimmerman claims the unarmed teen attacked him while he was patrolling a gated community. mr tin's family alleges zimmerman shot their son because he was black. zimmerman said he felt his life was in danger. >> he said you're going to die

tonight [ bleep ], and took one hand off of my mouth and i felt it going down my chest to my belt enemy holster. >> reporter: george zimmerman also apologized to martin's parents, and saying that though childless himself, he understands their grief. >> i love my children even though they're not born yet, and i'm sorry they buried their child. >> reporter: erman is charged with second-degree murder. >> zimmerman's attorney said he did the interview, because he's hoping for more donations to pay for his defense. intense fighting continues in syria following a bombing that killed three high-ranking officials. rebel forces are now battling for control of the capitol city

of damascus. the explosives were planted in a room where a high-level crisis meeting was being held. the white house says the bombing shows assad is losing control of the country. tonight we may know the cause of a massive 7 alarm brush fire that forced marylanders from their homes. investigators have linked the blaze to marijuana. more than 40-acres of woods have burned. authorities have been trying to pinpoint its origins ever since. the fire is active almost a month after it began. kai? >> reporter: that's right, the fire is still burning. authorities believe an illegal enterprise might be to blame. >> reporter: thick smoke and ash fills the sky of cep island in june. at one point, it forced 2500 residents from their homes. >> i wanted to see if my house

was still here. >> reporter: ken island is the jewel on the eastern shore. the fire went to 7 alarms and dmeanded more than 200 firefighters. it threatened people and property. after a thorough investigation, the department of fasm resources may have found the case. >> what we think right now is the post likely cause of the fire is some kind of discarted material. >> reporter: the discarded material the dnl found is marijuana. >> >> what we found is a suspected marijuana grow area. someone may have been cultivating some plants in that area. >> reporter: more than a month later, the fire is still burning. >> you can't extinguish the fire in all the areas, and with the drought, it's difficult. >> the marijuana was given to the drug task force, and we can

report that they have bonder it. >> the department of natural resources says it will continue to -- they have burned it. >> the department of natural resources says it will continue to monitor the fire. the city may get help from thousands of electronic eyes. businesses and residents will be able to incorporate their cameras into the police city watch system. officers will be able to access those cameras quickly after a crime is committeed. underarmor honors a baltimore city schoolteacher for redefining what it means to be an athlete. the teacher trained 12 girls for ten weeks until they could run a mile and track their progress online. she get an underarmor sponsorship gear. >> they can do more than run a mile. those dpicials are fit. coming up, a deadly blast, 7 people killed when a bomb goes off on a bus full of

israeli tourists. israel's government is vowing revenge. >> my whole body was on fire. >> man fighting against death after being bitten by a rattlesnake. >> reporter: michael phelps says this will be his last olympics. >> more chances of showers headed our way. and i'll have your complete first warning forecast coming up next. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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brave the black forest on verbolten. the all-new multi-launch coaster. only at busch gardens. it's partly crowd cloudy and 78 degrees in central maryland right now. incredible video shot by tourists at glacier national park many president many. landslides triggered by rain stranded dozens of tourists. park officials say five miles of road remains closed. more arrests in the second service prostitution scandal. soldiers and marines will not face criminal charges but will face discipline for their involvement. 12 secret service officers were implicated, eight were forced out for bringing prostitutes to

a hotel. israel is vowing to strike back at iran after a bus full of tourists is bombed in bulgaria. smoke could be seen in the distance after an explosion at the airport parking lot. the group was started to board the bus after arriving from te l aviv. no group has taken responsibility. iran has not commented on the attack. but the israeli government says all signs point to them. they say it is the latest of a series of attacks on israelis. a georgia man goes on a life or death struggle after being bitten by a rattlesnake. he was able to shoot the snake and then release his own leg to drain the venom. he was too weak to get to his truck, so he lay down on the dirt road. he figured he would either be found our run over. >> i was ready to go.

>> i was so thankful. i'm alive today. i'm so thankful that god gave me another second to be with my wife. >> two mickers found jim and he was air lifted to a hospital. doctors say he had to be brought back to life three times during that flight. it will be the biggest rivalry at the summer olympics, and michael phelps is in the middle of it. mary bubala has more on the duel in the pool. >> reporter: michael phelps is hoping to add to his olympic medal collection. he already has 16, 8 from the last summer olympics in beijing. >> i'm preparing myself to go out and represent my country and step up wearing the stars and stipes. >> reporter: but this time, phelps finds himself against ryan lofty nape are fierce rivals in the pool, but they're also friends. >> we have a great relationship. we have a great rivalry and a

great friendship. last night, he was in my room and we were playing cards. >> reporter: if phelps earns medals in three of the seven events he is expected to compete in, he will become the most decorated o limpian history. and to think it all started here at meadowbrook in mount washington. >> he's probably the hard e- racer i've ever came across. >> but lofty is already a top comer -- is also a top competitor with 6 medals already. these brothers waited for hours in the rain to watch the to o limpians practice in tennessee. >> it's cool to o come out and hear these guys cheering. gr the crowd will be larger and louder when they face off in lon don. >> reporter: the most decorated o limpian ever is a russian gymnast from the 1950s who

earned 18 medals. >> and michael phelps says he will retire aft games. >> i hope he's able to find some work, you know? >> he's like 20 something? >> yeah. let's look at temps. it's a lot nicer tonight the past couple days, 10 to 15 degrees cooler than last night at this time. 78 with a 71 dew point is a little moist. 7 miles per hour west winds. the sun game back and warmed us up after the rain cooled us down. it's 70 in oakland, ocean city had a turned shower, they have cooled down to 79. but these temperatures are running a lot cooler than they were last night. many areas cooler.

around the annapolis area, report of up to an inch of rain in those storms. around the city, we had about 3 drops. at the airport, 200ths of -- hundredth 2 hundredths of an inches -- of an inch. right now, we have a light west wind. tomorrow, the winds go back to the north and northeast. there's going too another risk of warm storm. the boundary has not yet gone through. it will stall out real close to the mason-dixon line. we have a real risk of a

scattered shower tonight. and again again on friday, a risk of more rain. some areas could pick up some pretty decent amounts of rain between now and friday. eventually, it will cool down and dry fowsht weekend. looks like a really nice weekend. northeast winds at 5 to ten knots. and the bay temp, 83 degrees. maybe a few widely scattered showers. upper 80s, maybe if we get more sun, as high as 93. but that humanity still with us. more showers possible friday. it will begin to dry out, a high of only 80. it looks like a great weekend, 92 here on monday. denise? >> thank you, bob. the orioles buy tritoned their losing streak on the road. >> they get down and dirty, trying to [ male announcer ] now at your neighborhood subway:

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no spin needed. mark is here with our wjz sports report. >> it's been rough enough. the orioles faced the twins, who have the worst record in the league. but the past two nite, they've been beaten by lowly minnesota. they tried to reverse their luck. adam jones hit this 2-run shot with an early 2-0 lead. buck show alter said that's nice, but it's the pitching that's been the problem. how old tommy hunter do? he did quite well. hunter pitches into the 8th inning. the orioles win 2-1. one more game in minnesota tomorrow

afternoon and then on to cleveland. saturday night. it will be masn here on wjz. an injury scare for the blue jays flaying the yankees in the bronx. brett lowery catches a foul ball, he flips over and falls six feet onto the concrete. he left the game, but x-rays are negative. a bruise, nothing broken. in football, it's countdown to ravens training camp. the first workout is eight weeks away. it's been a busy offseason that's incheuded new long-term contracts for darius webb and ray rice. that means joe flacco is the remaining bit of unfinished long-term busy. nfl.com cites a source that says there's a 75% chance that flacco's contract could be

completed before the start of camp next week. negotiations have been ongoing for several months to lock up the qb to a new deal with his current contract set to expire at the oven this coming season. a new deal would free up salary cap space for the ravens for this season. team u.s.a. women's basketball. the americans played england in london today. baltimore's angel mccotchrie makes the fast face a pass to lindsey weiland. the women trail early but rally ,,,,,,88-60 victory.

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mother nature strikes back

at a tv meteorologist. see what happens when lightning hits during a newscast on our sister station in boston. >> people are outside here on vacation on boats, etc., this is a dangerous -- >> to his credit, todd gunther didn't flirchl and kept on going even in the dark. backup power kicked in. employees said it felt like a employees said it felt like a missile hit th,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, =o

man: there's a cattle guard, take a right. do you have any idea where you're going ? wherever the wind takes me. this is so off course.

nature can surprise you sometimes... next time, you drive. next time, signal your turn. ...that's why we got a subaru. love wherever the road takes you. letterman is next